Hyderabad: A double delight was in store for Jaipur Pink Panthers at the GMCB Indoor Stadium in Gachibowli, here as their side prevailed over UP Yoddhas with a tight 33-30 win.
While Neeraj Narwal’s 9 points (7 Raid Points) was the highlight of their performance, it was Arjun Deshwal’s day as he became just the seventh raider to score 1000 Raid Points in PKL history on Tuesday night.
It was a slow start to the game for both teams. Jaipur Pink Panthers’ Arjun Deshwal opened the scoring before Gagan Gowda joined the party for UP Yoddhas.
The teams exchanged points regularly throughout the game although Jaipur Pink Panthers were ahead of their opponents for most of the first half.
Neeraj Narwal complemented his captain Arjun well throughout, while Reza Mirbagheri and Surjeet Singh commanded the defence.
Despite this, it was UP Yoddhas who took a two-point lead at the end of the first half with the score reading 17-15 in their favour. This was due to a successful Super Tackle by Sumit to get Arjun off the mat.
Bharat Hooda’s four Raid Points and one Tackle Point also aided their efforts, ably supported by Gagan Gowda in attack and Ashu Singh in defence.
Super Tackles seemed to be the name of the game for UP Yoddhas as they first got Neeraj Narwal and then the dangerous Arjun Deshwal.
However, UP Yoddhas were playing on fumes from the start of the second half, allowing Jaipur Pink Panthers to get the first All-Out of the game.
It was Neeraj Narwal who took charge of the raiding department for Jaipur Pink Panthers. On the other hand, Hitesh completed a High 5, which kept UP Yoddhas in the game.
As the match continued, Arjun Deshwal created his own piece of history as he became the second-fastest raider to 1000 Raid Points, getting Surender Gill with the slightest of touches.
A see-saw game to the very end, Reza Mirbagheri finished the match with a High 5. But it was Ankush Rathee’s successful defence on Surender Gill that effectively sealed a win by just three points for Jaipur Pink Panthers.
